Lowering calcium in the nucleus tractus solitarius causes hypotension and bradycardia

It has been shown that saline microinjected into the region of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) causes, but artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the same volume does not cause, hypotension and bradycardia. This study was done to examine the possibility that the difference in effects between saline and artificial CSF may be due to the lack of calcium ions in saline. In anesthetized rats, saline or artificial CSF with or without calcium ions was microinjected into the region of the NTS. Saline microinjected in volumes of 0.2 and 0.5 microliter produced the volume-dependent decreases in arterial pressure and heart rate. Saline with added calcium ions and artificial CSF did not elicit the hypotensive and bradycardic response, but artificial CSF without calcium ions produced hypotension and bradycardia. These results suggest that the lack of calcium ions in the injected solutions is the factor that determines the hypotensive and bradycardic response. These results suggest that lowering the local availability of calcium to the NTS neurons results in hypotension and bradycardia.